1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tone generator, a waveform memory addressing method, and a machine readable medium suitable for use in generating tones in an electronic musical instrument or else.
2. Description of Related Art
A known sampler is constructed such that an analog tone signal is converted into a digital waveform sample composed of a series of digital values, then the same is stored in a waveform memory along a given range of addresses, and a desired music tone is reproduced based on the stored waveform sample. In such a sampler apparatus, a user specifies a read start address, a loop start address, and an end address of the waveform memory. When performance information is inputted, the waveform sample is read once from the read start address to the loop start address, followed by repeated reading of the waveform sample from the loop start address to the end address by the number of times corresponding to a duration of the music tone specified by performance information. Based on the waveform data thus read, the music tone is generated.
The above-mentioned read start address, loop start address, and end address may be changed to generate music tones of different variations based on one type of the waveform sample. However, to read waveform data of a different variation, the conventional sampler must set the addresses of the waveform data from a first step, making it impossible to generate music tones while changing their variations during the course of music performance.